


falling into place

by TrashiestofTrash



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Major V3 Spoilers, hey guys I love Tsumugi a whole lot can you tell, some other ships implied maybe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 00:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13915944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashiestofTrash/pseuds/TrashiestofTrash
Summary: There's something so strange about it all, seeing everything fall into place. Like watching actors take their place on the stage.The 53rd Killing Game from Tsumugi's point of view.





	falling into place

Seconds after the killing game began, she could see the characters fall into their respective places. There's something so strange about it all, seeing everything fall into place. Like watching actors take their place on the stage.

Kaede establishes herself as the leader, Shuichi fits well as her detective to keep her in line. He keeps close behind her, the brim of his hat carefully shielding his eyes away from the others. She reassures him, she guides him, he feels so much more comfortable around her already, some fans say that they might be falling in love already-- something would have to be done about that.

Tenko’s affection for Himiko has made itself known to the world around her ten times over, claiming that she would protect her. That she would fight for her. Where Shuichi follows Kaede out of fear of being left behind, Tenko follows her out of fear of leaving her behind. Himiko is often heard mumbling to herself, telling Tenko to leave her alone, but she won’t. Not ever.

Maki has noticed Kaito, but hasn’t thought anything more of him. She thinks he’s an idiot. He thinks there’s something sad behind her shielded nature, but it’s far too early for him to try and bring her out of her shell. It’ll have to wait for now. 

Kokichi blandly notes Shuichi’s presence in the school, but can’t find himself too interested in him for the time being. The detective hasn’t developed any further yet, so it’s no surprise that he finds him boring. Perhaps in time he’ll take note of him, perhaps it’ll be his ruin. The fans are pairing them off, she’s certain of it after seeing the pattern in the fanbase so many times.

Tsumugi herself sits at the end of the dining hall table, observing the others closely, noting how the seeds of panic begin to settle between the pairs of them. The time limit established only quicken the spread, and like a disease the symptoms began to show.Kaede’s hand drums a rhythm to itself on the table, tapping at the notes to a melody only she can hear. Her eyes flicker between the others, some still not forgiving her for their failed attempts at their escape. She shoots a glance to Shuichi, and the rhythm in her melody quickens, remembering the room behind the bookcase. Their discussions of the mastermind ring in her ears, an eerie chorus of voices singing high above her soft piano playing. 

Tsumugi smiles to herself. Kaede had decided on murder. A bold decision, really. 

She lets Kaede formulate her plan in secret, Motherkuma feeding the details of the plan into her ear as she goes place to place with Shuichi. He’s far too flustered to realize the scheme she’s hiding from him, his face growing red when she absently adjusts his cap. While she’s busy bonding with her detective friend, the margin of error in her plan becomes increasingly apparent to the average viewer. When she’s alone in her room, she sighs.

She was going to have to take matters into her own hands, wasn’t she?

It was far from her first time taking out a character herself to ensure the game was running smoothly. The killing game was her first priority, and her only priority. She had killed to be where she stood today, a proud member of Team Danganronpa. She would easily have done it again, all for the little pin she keeps tucked in a hidden fold of her jacket. 

But there was something about killing off a character, a familiar pang of sadness that rings out in her heart whenever any of them dies. It should be satisfying, watching a character be driven to their end by made-up motives and the facade of characterization. But it’s not. This endless cycle of the killing game, she should of become immune to this feeling. But it’s stuck with her for so long, she doesn’t cry or react whenever a character dies but she feels… empty, almost. 

It’s always been like this, even back when the killings were digital and the concept of Real Fiction non-existent, she remembers this pang in her chest when Sayaka Maizono was killed off. She didn’t even like her all that much. 

She sits in the hidden room in the library, idly twisting a strand of hair into a little curl around her finger. She’d always wished for a better hairstyle, but she’d settle for the plain and simple straight hair she had been left with. It helped her keep to the background of a scene. 

The time limit was going to run out soon, and she rests her head in the palm of her hand, patient for Motherkuma’s signal. Her hand falls from her hair and rests on the shot put, taken from the warehouse when no one was watching. People had a habit of not watching her, so much so that she had used it to her own advantage. She frowns a bit to herself, the music from the countdown ringing in her ears. Rantaro enters, and she stands up. Motherkuma gives the signal.

During the 52nd killing game, she stayed far from Rantaro, but she remembers what he was like, how he interacted with everyone. There was a moment at some point after the first murder, where he comforted her. She had overreacted a bit too much to the discovery of the body, and he had followed her out. She had let the overdramatic tears she had shed lead him to her, and he had… comforted her. 

“We’re getting out of this alive, Tsumugi. I promise you, it’s going to be alright--”

She slams the shot put down into the back of his skull, cutting the memory short rather abruptly. She stares down at where he once stood, taking an unwise second to stare down upon his fallen frame. His desire to protect the others shone even stronger this time around, and all it had done for him was get him killed. 

Taking the evidence along with her, she disappears into the hidden room, moving quickly to ensure the success of her plan. When she rejoins the group, she screams dramatically upon seeing his corpse, a natural reaction. 

The fluttering of Kaede’s piano playing had stopped, and suddenly her whole world is silent. Her acceptance is key to the plot, and as she realizes that Rantaro wasn’t her target she grows quieter and quieter. Her hand stills on her skirt, then it traces the pattern of the music on her skirt, searching for a harmony that had been lost the moment the shot put crashed down on his skull, giving a dramatic end to her song. 

After the trial, once they’ve had their share of pointing fingers at each other and decide Kaede is the culprit, she watches and reacts as expected of her when she gives a heartfelt speech at the end of the trial. 

Shuichi is shattered.

When her execution begins, she’s violently ripped away from him, and dragged upwards and to her death. As she’s pulled, there’s a moment where she locks eyes with her. Everyone is so focused on the tragedy unfolding before their eyes, none of them bother to look for the killer hiding among them all. 

With their eyes locked, she smiles up at her, watching the realization weigh in upon her in an instant, far from enough to bring her back down to earth. As Kaede is ripped from the world, Tsumugi waves up at her. 

Kaede tries to scream out, but the grip around her neck tightens. Tsumugi pretends to act horrified now, but she isn’t sure she could convey the feeling residing in her chest on her face. The spikes crash down on her, and before she gets back into character, her gaze lingers on her remains. 

She blinks, then she’s back in character, howling about how awful it all was. But there was a moment, a solid second, where a stray part of her asks a question to no one.

Was it all worth it?

**Author's Note:**

> Tsumugi is one of my all time favorite characters, and I've always wanted to dive into her point of view. This is kind of a rewrite of a fic I posted a few months ago, but this time I'll be working through the entire killing game. I'm on tumblr over at appleshavecaffeine.tumblr.com . Thanks for reading!


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